Graeme Dott receives a seven-year prison sentence for sexually abusing two children in Scotland, following his conviction in August 2026.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing two children in separate cases spanning 17 years.
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been sentenced to seven years in prison after a Scottish court convicted him of sexually abusing two children in offences committed years apart.
The 49-year-old received his sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. The sentencing followed his conviction in August on two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour involving a girl and a boy who were both of primary school age when the offences occurred.
The abuse of the girl took place between 1993 and 1996, while the offences involving the boy occurred between 2006 and 2010. The incidents took place in Scotland.
Judge Lord Harrower described Dott's offending as a serious violation of the trust placed in him. The former professional player, who won the World Snooker Championship in 2006, had denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
The sentence concludes a significant stage in a criminal case that has also resulted in Dott losing his professional snooker membership and his place in the sport's Hall of Fame.
Edinburgh Court Imposes Seven-Year Prison Sentence
Lord Harrower sentenced Dott after considering the evidence presented during his trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where a jury convicted him on 24 August 2026.
The judge addressed the prolonged nature of the abuse and its consequences for the two victims, whose identities remain protected.
He said Dott had deprived the complainants of an important part of their childhoods and characterised his conduct as a serious breach of trust. The judge also identified behaviour consistent with grooming.
Although both convictions concerned the same broad category of sexual offending, the crimes occurred during substantially different periods of Dott's life.
The judge acknowledged that Dott had been approximately 16 or 17 during part of the offending against the girl. By the time the abuse involving the boy began, Dott was an adult and an established professional snooker player.
The court also heard that the offending included penetrative sexual activity. In addressing the historical nature of the charges, the judge indicated that some conduct would be classified differently under contemporary sexual offences legislation.
Dott's sentence was backdated to account for the period he had already spent in custody.
He is also subject to indefinite registration requirements under the sex offenders register.
Two Victims Describe Abuse Years Apart
The prosecution presented evidence concerning two separate periods of offending, with the first beginning in the early 1990s.
The female victim, now an adult, told jurors that the abuse began when she was a child and developed into repeated incidents of sexual contact.
Her testimony described how apparently ordinary interactions became opportunities for inappropriate touching and more serious sexual offending.
She also told the court that Dott had instructed her not to disclose what was happening.
The second victim, a man now in his late twenties, described abuse that occurred between 2006 and 2010.
His evidence included accounts of inappropriate sexual contact in private settings, including a bathroom and a vehicle.
He explained that he had not fully understood the nature of the behaviour when he was a child. His understanding of the incidents developed as he grew older.
The prosecution also presented evidence about gifts and money that the male victim said were connected to the abuse.
The accounts demonstrated how the offences occurred across different periods and circumstances, rather than forming a single continuous episode involving both children.
Dott rejected the allegations during his trial. He denied having behaved inappropriately and challenged the complainants' accounts.
The jury nevertheless returned guilty verdicts on both charges.
How the Criminal Proceedings Developed
The case reached its sentencing stage following an investigation, criminal charges and a trial in Scotland.
Police Scotland confirmed that Dott was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow on 24 August 2026 in connection with offences committed between 1993 and 2010.
The two periods of offending were separated by approximately a decade. The first concerned abuse committed during Dott's adolescence, while the second occurred during his professional sporting career.
Dott was formally suspended from professional snooker after the criminal charges were announced in April 2025.
His trial began on 18 August 2026 and lasted five days. Prosecutors presented evidence from both complainants, while Dott testified in his own defence.
The jury convicted him on 24 August.
Following the verdict, Lord Harrower ordered Dott to remain in custody while the court obtained the information required for sentencing.
The sentencing hearing was scheduled for 29 September at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The distinction between the conviction and sentencing dates is important. Dott's guilt was determined by the jury in August, while the September hearing established the custodial punishment.
The conviction also triggered disciplinary consequences within professional snooker before the prison sentence was announced.
Why the Historical Charges Matter
The prosecution concerned offences committed over an extended historical period, raising questions about how criminal justice institutions respond when survivors disclose abuse years after it occurred.
Historical sexual abuse cases can involve conduct committed under legislation that differs from the laws in force when the case eventually reaches court.
In Scotland, the legal terminology used in Dott's convictions reflects the historical nature of the offending.
The charges were described as lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour, terminology associated with Scotland's earlier criminal law.
The terminology should not be confused with a finding that the offences were minor. The court heard evidence of serious sexual abuse, and the judge addressed the gravity of the conduct when imposing the sentence.
The case also illustrates why the legal description of historical offending and the language used to describe equivalent contemporary crimes may differ.
The precise statutory and common-law framework applicable to each incident depends on the date and circumstances of the conduct.
For the victims, the passage of time did not eliminate the possibility of criminal proceedings.
Police Scotland has emphasised that reports of abuse can be investigated regardless of how many years have passed.
Following the conviction, Detective Inspector Gary Smillie acknowledged the contribution made by those who provided evidence and encouraged others with concerns about sexual or violent abuse to contact police.
Snooker Authorities Remove Dott From the Sport
The criminal proceedings have also produced significant consequences for Dott's professional sporting status.
Dott became a professional snooker player in 1994 and established himself among the sport's leading competitors.
His most prominent achievement came in 2006, when he defeated Peter Ebdon to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
He also reached the World Championship final in 2004 and 2010.
His professional career was interrupted when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association suspended him following the announcement of the criminal charges in April 2025.
After the guilty verdict in August 2026, the association permanently revoked his membership.
World Snooker Tour separately removed him from its Hall of Fame.
These disciplinary measures are distinct from the criminal sentence. The professional bodies took action concerning his membership and sporting recognition, while the courts determined criminal responsibility and punishment.
The distinction matters because Dott's exclusion from professional snooker was already established before the Edinburgh sentencing hearing.
His seven-year prison sentence therefore adds a criminal penalty to professional sanctions that had already taken effect.
Victims' Testimony and the Wider Importance of Reporting Abuse
The case has drawn attention to the experiences of people who report sexual abuse long after childhood.
The two complainants described offending that occurred when they were too young to understand fully what was happening or the implications of the behaviour.
Their evidence was central to the criminal proceedings.
Following the August verdict, the NSPCC acknowledged the courage required to report childhood sexual abuse and participate in the justice process.
The organisation also emphasised the potentially long-lasting consequences of such offending and the importance of providing appropriate support.
The case illustrates how delayed disclosure can become part of criminal proceedings many years after the original events.
However, the circumstances of individual survivors differ, and no single case establishes why another person might delay reporting abuse.
Support organisations emphasise that people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse should be able to seek assistance regardless of when the offences occurred.
In Scotland, concerns about sexual or violent abuse can be reported to Police Scotland. Specialist organisations, including the NSPCC, also provide information about child protection and access to support.
Dott's conviction, professional exclusion and prison sentence represent separate consequences arising from the same criminal proceedings.
The Edinburgh judgment establishes his punishment following the jury's verdict, while the testimony heard during the trial provides a record of the experiences that led to the convictions.
The case also demonstrates that historical allegations involving a prominent sporting figure can proceed through the criminal courts decades after the original offences.
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